Anita
Can you recommend any sites that give a bit more background about the issue,
especially to non-US citizens who are perpetually confused at the apparent
dichotomy between the constitutional separation of church and state and the
apparent strength of organised religion in influencing the main political
forces in the US?
Presumably these provisions of the Bill reiterate the intent of other
heritage laws, and the issue would have arisen with the conservation of
church buildings, monasteries, synagogues and religious thingies, perhaps
even affecting their listing in registers. Do these other sorts of sites
attract similar controversy? It does mean more money for conservation of
all the secular humanist or declared atheist sites though, so its got that
going for it.
Denis
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Denis Gojak
Banksia Heritage + Archaeology
PO Box 457
Newtown NSW 2042
Australia
W 02 9558 0220
F 02 9558 4120
M 0413 030 293
E [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anita Cohen-Williams" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 1:13 PM
Subject: California Missions Preservation Act
> H.R. 1446 is coming up for a hearing this Thursday in front of the Senate
> Sub-Committee on National Parks. This bill, titled "The California
Missions
> Preservation Act" passed the House but has gotten stuck in the Senate.
>
> The bill would provide $10 million to the California Missions Foundation
(a
> 501 (c)(3) non-profit) over five years through a grant from the Department
> of the Interior. The monies are for the repair and restoration of all the
> California Missions, and the preservation and restoration of the artworks
> and artifacts.
>
> Under Section 2, the bill states, "...As provided in section 101(e)(4) of
> the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470a(e)(4)), the
> Secretary [of the Interior] shall ensure that the purpose of a grant under
> this section is secular, does not promote religion, and seeks to protect
> those qualities that are historically significant."
>
> Unfortunately, the American Association United for the Separation of
Church
> and State plans to show up at the hearing to oppose the bill.
>
> We ask that you write the following Senators to pass this bill to the
> Senate Floor. For some reason, the chair of the sub-committee is against
> the bill and has been trying to let it die in committee. He is only
> allowing testimony from a few people, but if we make our voices heard,
> perhaps the bill will pass. Senators Barbara Boxer
> (http://boxer.senate.gov) and Diane Feinstein
(http://feinstein.senate.gov)
> are solidly behind the bill and will be testifying as well.
>
> Chair: Sen. Craig Thomas (R - WY) http://thomas.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Gordon Smith (R- OR) http://gsmith.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Daniel Akaka (D - HI) http://akaka.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Lamar Alexander (R - TN) http://alexander.senate.gov/contact
>
> Sen. Evan Bayh (D - IN) http://bayh.senate.gov/contact.html
>
> Sen. Conrad Burns (R - MT) http://burns.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Ben "Nighthorse" Campbell (R - CO) http://campbell.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Byron Dorgan (D - ND) http://dorgan.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Bob Graham (D - FL) http://graham.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Jon Kyl (R - AZ) http://kyl.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Mary Landrieu (D - LA) http://landrieu.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Don Nickles (R- OK) http://nickles.senate.gov
>
> Sen. Charles Schumer (D - NY) http://schumer.senate.gov
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Anita Cohen-Williams
> Search Engine Optimizer/Guru
> http://www.mysearchguru.com
> "Get Your Web Site Noticed!"
>
> Board member: http://www.sdwi.org
> Technology Committee Chair: http://www.gsdba.org
> Search Engine Guru: http://www.netprofitsecrets.com/nps/anita
>
>
|